Today, RevolverMag.com brings you the exclusive premiere of Anthrax’s cover of Cheap Trick’s “Big Eyes.” The song is from Anthems, the band’s new eight-song EP that pays tribute to classic songs by some of Anthrax’s favorite bands from the 1970s.
Anthems will be released in North America March 19 by MRI/Megaforce and March 22 in Europe via Nuclear Blast.
The EP includes covers of Rush’s “Anthem,” Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak,” “TNT” by AC/DC, Boston’s “Smokin’,” “Big Eyes” by Cheap Trick, Journey’s “Keep on Runnin,” plus the album version and a special remix of Anthrax’s “Crawl” from the band’s 2011 album, Worship Music.
“We were toying around with the idea of doing a Cheap Trick song, and ‘Big Eyes’ was one of our favorites,” said drummer Charlie Benante. “We recorded it, but then got busy with other things, so we never finished it. What happened was, Joey was out in LA doing vocals for the EP and Jay Ruston [co-producer] pulled ‘Big Eyes’ up and had Joey do the vocals, something we didn’t know he was going to do. But it turned out so great. Joey’s vocals are so amazing, so we knew we wanted the song on the EP.
“After Joey’s vocals, all the song needed was a guitar lead, and I did that in my Chicago studio. I think the song turned out to be one of the best songs on the EP. Everyone in the band is a huge Cheap Trick fan. They were one of the first concerts I went to, probably in 1978 when I was living in New York, I saw them at the Palladium. Actually, ‘Big Eyes’ is the second time Anthrax has covered a Cheap Trick song; in 1992, we recorded ‘Auf Wiedersehen,’ which was the B-side of their single ‘Surrender,’ as one of the bonus tracks for Anthrax’s Sound of White Noise.”
“These are all bands I grew up with and have listened to forever,” added vocalist Joey Belladonna. “It’s just great music. I had fun singing these songs and I was happy recording together with Anthrax, doing classic rock songs. Fun stuff!”
Anthems was produced by Anthrax, Jay Ruston and Rob Caggiano and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante’s home studio, in Ruston’s New York studio, on the band’s tour bus while on last summer’s Mayhem Tour, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.
Anthrax — Belladonna, Benate (drums), Scott Ian (guitar) and Frank Bello (bass) — hit the road last month in support of Anthems. They’ll return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour, which kicks off March 22. For all of these dates, Anthrax will be joined by Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais.
Check out Anthrax’s current tour dates here. Keep up with Anthrax at their Facebook page!
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Samson, Hartke, Zoom, and Best Buy are pleased to announce the third installment of Samson’s “Metal Masters” series of instrument clinics, which will be held on Thursday, April 12, at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, CA. Doors will open at 7:00pm.
Having surprised the audience at Metal Master 2 in New York City with surprise appearances by Philip Anselmo (Pantera / Down) and Scott Ian (Anthrax), as well as a full Anthrax performance, Charlie Benante and Frank Bello (Anthrax), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Mike Portnoy (ex–Dream Theater/Adrenaline Mob), Kerry King and now Dave Lombardo (both of Slayer) are back on the West Coast with an exclusive metal experience that’s bigger than ever. Artists will perform both individually and collectively, demonstrating their personal techniques and how they all come together to create the music that millions bang their heads to every day.
“We’re extremely excited to be bringing the Metal Masters series back to the West Coast where it originated,” says Mark Menghi, Samson’s Director of Marketing. “And with the artists we have participating and the surprises we have planned, Metal Masters 3 is going to be the best one yet.”
Tickets are available for $20 (first come, first served) at the Key Club’s box office, located at 9039 Sunset Boulevard, or via www.keyclub.com. With door giveaways and surprise guests, all should purchase their tickets early for this All Ages event to witness the return of the Metal Masters.
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If there’s one thing more exciting than seeing your favorite bands live, it’s seeing your favorite bands playing live together at the same time. Although the hard-rock and metal history books include more than a few eye-popping collaborations over the genres’ four-decade histories, 2011 boasts some of the most exciting. Below is a list of what got the Revolver editors’ jaws dropping this year. Let us know what jams you think were the best in the comments section.
The Big Four
Although Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax jammed together for the first time last year, it was in 2011 they made it their calling card. Beginning with their performance of Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” in April to their jams in Europe (which also featured members of Diamond Head, Exodus, and Sepultura), to their U.S. final performance of Motörhead’s “Overkill” in New York City, these bands have made history at each performance.
The Metal Masters
The night before the Big Four concert in New York City, members of Megadeth and Anthrax along with drummer Mike Portnoy gathered to give instrument tips to fans and musicians a like. What the audience didn’t expect was the closing jam, which featured Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Frank Bello, and Charlie Benante, Megadeth’s David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, and special guests Kerry King of Slayer and…Phil Anselmo of Pantera and Down fame, who sang “Fucking Hostile” and “A New Level.”
Temple of the Dog
For Pearl Jam’s 20th Anniversary concert, Chris Cornell joined the band for a four-song set of the songs he recorded with the nascent band under the name Temple of the Dog in 2011.
The Revolver Golden Gods Awards
We may be tooting our own horns here, but even we were floored by the collaborations of Avenged Sevenfold with Vinnie Paul on Pantera’s “Mouth for War” and Duff McKagan on GN’R’s “It’s So Easy,” as well as Duff, Corey Taylor, and Steve Jones’ take on Judas Priest’s “Electric Eye,” Volbeat’s take on Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Wanna Be With You,” and Asking Alexandria and Sebastian Bach’s electrifying take on “Youth Gone Wild.”
Guns N’ Roses and Zakk Wylde’s “Whole Lotta Rosie”
At a recent Indiana gig, Guns N’ Roses invited Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde to join them on guitar for an electrifying rendition of AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Love.”
Mötley Crüe with Cee-Lo
Cee-Lo Green the Soul Machine, who had a massive hit last year with “Fuck You,” joined the Sunset Strip’s Kings of “Fuck You”—Mötley Crüe—at an L.A. gig in June for a rendition of his hit and the Crüe’s “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away).”
Drop in the Bucket Charity Event
At the Drop in the Bucket Charity Event, Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor played a set highlighted by all of his famous friends. Together they played some of hard rock and metal’s greatest hits. Two highlights were Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”—performed by Taylor, Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro, Rob Zombie guitarist John 5, and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo—and AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”—played by Taylor, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, John 5, and Rob Zombie bassist Piggy D and drummer Ginger Fish. For more from that night, click here.
Metallica 30th Anniversary
Nobody has ever thrown an anniversary party quite like Metallica’s 30th Anniversary shows, which wrapped up on December 10 in San Francisco. Over the course of four nights, they played with artists who influenced them, their peers, and past members of the band. These include everyone from Diamond Head to Mercyful Fate, Marianne Faithfull to Rob Halford, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell to Kid Rock, and, most impressive, original guitarists Dave Mustaine and Lloyd Grant alongside original bassist Ron McGovney for the first song the band ever recorded, “Hit the Lights.”
A behind-the-scenes video from the second Metal Masters Clinic, which took place at New York City’s Best Buy Theater last month, is now available to view below. The event featured Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, and Frank Bello, Slayer’s Kerry King, Megadeth’s David Ellefson, drummer Mike Portnoy, and a surprise guest appearance by Phil Anselmo of Pantera and Down fame.
If you missed the Clinic, or the special concert by Anthrax that followed it, you can watch a replay right here at Revolvermag.com by clicking here.
]]>The Metal Masters Clinic 2 took place last week in New York City. At the event, Anthrax’s Frank Bello and Charlie Benante, Megadeth’s David Ellefson, and drum legend Mike Portnoy showing what they could do with their instruments. But it was at the end, when Slayer’s Kerry King, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, and Down and former Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo joined them to play the Pantera classics “A New Level” and “Fucking Hostile.”
You can still replay the clinic and the Anthrax concert that followed it here, but below you can watch highlights from the night, courtesy of Samson, Zoom, and Hartke.
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Anthrax’s new album Worship Music has garnered the band their highest chart debut in two decades and the second highest of their career. The record debuted at No. 12 on Billboard‘s 200 top albums chart, selling 28,500 copies. Worship Music also went in at No. 4 on Billboard’s hard rock chart.
Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante responded to the news by saying: “I am most proud of our fans who came out and gave us the amazing support they did. To have our record debut at No. 12 is a great accomplishment.”
Guitarist Scott Ian added the following: “I’m absolutely thrilled with the fact that our Anthrax Army came out in force this week to show the world that good music matters. Thank you to all our friends, old and new! It’s a privilege to do this for you.”
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Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante has launched his own website, as well as a Facebook fan page. The thrash titans released their first album in eight years, Worship Music, on September 13, a day before rocking out Yankee Stadium as part of the Big Four concert.
You can view Benante’s website by clicking here and Facebook fan page here.
]]>The Metal Masters Clinic 2—featuring Slayer’s Kerry King, Anthrax’s Frank Bello and Charlie Benante, Megadeth’s David Ellefson, and drum legend Mike Portnoy—is took place yesterday at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. You can watch that and a concert by Anthrax—featuring a surprise guest appearance by Phil Anselmo of Pantera and Down fame—right here. The clinic is being presented by Samson, Hartke, Zoom, and Best Buy Music Gear.
The Clinic
The Anthrax Concert